AN: Well I just spit this Chapter out of my arse in like 2 hours so sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes but I had an idea and I wanted to get it done as soon as possible so here it is Chapter 11. Please review!
ANN: Big thanks goes out to everyone who reviewed and have put up with me so far and to my Beta reader, who is waiting eagerly for some Boromir bashing.
Also I just changed the rating on this cause, well it just didn't feel like it deserved Mature rating as there will be nothingworse than what you have already read untill the Orcs arrive and then it'll only be blood guts and gore. If anyone feels diferently than tell me and I'll change it but other than that, it'll stay as a T rated Fic.
And on we go!
To Become a Ranger
Chapter 11
The Council of Elrond
Alyssa sighed as she packed what little things she had into a pack that she could carry about her shoulders. She knew she was packing early but it was better to be safe then sorry.
Today was the council of Elrond as every one from the different free kingdoms of middle earth had finally arrived.
It had been almost a week since she had re-appeared at her own funeral when she was asked buy both Lord Elrond and Gandalf the Grey had asked her to come to the council since it affected her more than most. They had warned her though that many people at the council will oppose her interfering as she was a woman. She told them that she would try to keep quiet unless it was absolutely necessary. Unfortunately for her she also had a big mouth when it came to woman's rights.
She sighed again and shook her hands trying to calm her frayed nerves. She had already run into Boromir son of Denathor, Steward of Gondor, and immediately didn't like him, she doesn't know why, it just that there is a weakness about him, not in body but in mind.
"My Lady," called a maid. "The Lord Elrond has asked for you to join him in the council circle with the others."
"Thank you." Alyssa replied, taking one last look at her self in the full length mirror. She was yet again wearing Arwen's mothers riding dress except this time she had a long flowing burgundy velvet cape on with a hood attached and partway up letting a few strands of elegantly braded hair to fall about her face.
Alyssa nodded to her self and strode out of the room and to the council circle, her big ranger boots clonking lightly on the stone floor. A passing maid smiled in amusement at her while she just grinned back, it was well known that she had a large dislike of elven foot wear and even when Arwen got her wearing the fanciest of dresses she always whore her boots with one of her knives stuck down the left one.
When she arrived she found that only a few people had shown up yet which included, Elrond, Gandalf, Frodo, Aragorn, a blond elf whom she believed to be Legolas and last but not least Boromir who raised his eyebrow in disdain at her but did not say anything which she was grateful for.
She sat down in a seat on the right side of Lord Elrond, beside the pathway giving her an easy escape route incase she might need it and easy view of every one in the circle.
Alyssa caught Aragorn's eye and nodded, who knew what would happen today, so they where both on their guard even if every one invited was neutral.
About ten minutes later every one had arrived all in there cities uniforms showing off their rank and importance.
Elrond stood up immediately drawing everyone's attention. "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate--this one doom," He looked over at Frodo and gave an almost unnoticeable smile of reassurance. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."
Frodo took a deep breath and stood up, taking the golden ring and placing it at the middle of the small pedestal in the middle of the circle. He then returned to his seat and sank down into it sighing lightly.
Alyssa couldn't tell if he was glad that all the attention was no longer one him or that he was glad that he no longer had to carry the burden. She guessed the former. Alyssa then turned her attention to the ring and cringed lightly as her heart felt like it was being twisted painfully in her chest. She brought her hand to her breast and looked away quickly. Well that answers some questions, she would never be able to hold it with out hurting her or even killing her let alone look at it; so that rules out addiction to the ring.
"So it is true..." whispered Boromir loudly looking at the ring with longing.
Alyssa looked at him sharply then at Aragorn both sharing the same look, this man could be a problem.
Boromir stands up and starts to pace looking each of the council members in the eye, though totally avoiding Alyssa as she had her eyes narrowed at him in warning.
"It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" stated Boromir as if they where stupid. "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay, by the blood of our people while your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the Enemy. Let us use it against him!"
"You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Cried out Aragorn before any of the other council members got any ideas.
"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir asked in disdain
suddenly Legolas stands up, an angry look on his face. "This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."
"Aragorn?" Boromir turns towards Aragorn with disbelief in his eyes "This... is Isildur's heir?"
"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Stated Legolas.
Aragorn pierces his lips, now every one knew he was. "Havo dad Legolas." (Sit down Legolas)
Boromir sneers and turns back to his seat, "Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king."
"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Gandalf stated hopefully closing the matter.
"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." Said Elrond in commanding but soft voice.
Alyssa sent Boromir another warning look who only sighed dejectedly like a little boy who was told he couldn't have is favorite toy.
"What are we waiting for?" asked Gimli gruffly while getting up from and bringing his double headed axe down on the small golden object.
"ARGHH" cried Gimli as he strikes the Ring as hard as he can, but is thrown back, falling to the ground shards of the axe around it. That's when Alyssa started hearing the whispers, the evil words of the Black tongue.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." Stated Lord Elrond seriously. "One of you must do this."
There was a dead silence as every one looked around themselves sizing each other up.
Boromir was the first one to speak, not that Alyssa was all that surprised, he seemed to have a hard time in keeping his mouth shut. "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!" he cried.
Legolas stands up, "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" he cried.
Gimli leapt to his feet, "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it!"
Boromir rises "And if we fail, what then! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his!"
'Uh-oh here comes the lovely arguing of politics.' Alyssa thought dejectedly.
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli cried jumping angrily to his feet.
Every one else save Lord Elrond, Gandalf, Alyssa, Frodo and Aragorn all jumped to their feet, both the elves and the dwarves yelling and pointing at each other with Legolas holding the elves back with his arms so it didn't come to physical blows on the twins part who had been surprisingly quiet threw out the whole meeting, while the humans all argued amongst themselves as to weather or not they should use it or destroy it, Boromir being the loudest of them all.
"Never trust an Elf!" Alyssa heard Gimli cry as she put her aching head in her hands. It was a pity that Middle Earth didn't have anything such as Advil.
Alyssa watched as Gandalf decided to rise and try to break it up. "Do you not understand that while we bicker among ourselves, Sauron's power grows! None can escape it!"
As the arguing grew louder and louder she had to close her eyes, the pressure behind them had grown in intensity and the whispers in her head had drowned out most of the arguing. "Ash Nazg Durbatulûk! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul!" they cried.
Alyssa snapped open her eyes and looked at Frodo. It was he who they had to rest there fate in and it was he she trusted the most to carry it all the way to Mordor. The young hobbit then looked up and met her green eyes. He nodded at her; he too knew that it was him that was the chosen one. Alyssa smiled sadly back and nodded for him to declare it.
"I will take it." He cried out to the arguing crowd.Everyone stops arguing. Gandalf closes is eyes as he hears Frodo's statement. Everyone slowly turns toward Frodo, surprised. "I will take it to Mordor." He said softly. "Though I do not know the way."
Gandalf walks over to Frodo and puts his hand on his shoulder. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, so long as it is yours to bear."
Aragorn rises. "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." He kneels before Frodo. "You have my sword."
"And you have my bow." Says Legolas and walks over to stand beside Frodo.
"And my Axe." Said Gimli while exchanging dark looks with Legolas.
Boromir approached slowly. "You carry the fates of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."
"Heh!" Cried Sam as he suddenly emerges from behind some bushes and stands beside Frodo "Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!"
Elrond raised his eyebrow in amusement while Alyssa hid her chuckles behind her hand. "No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not."
Pippin and Merry see Sam in the middle of all the important people come running out from behind the pillars. "Wait! We are coming too!"
"You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" said merry proudly.
"Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest... thing." Said Pippin as if he knew what he was talking about.
Merry looks at Pippin skeptically. "Well that counts you out Pip."
Elrond then looks Alyssa as if expecting something. She sighed, she knew she was unnecessarily dragging this out so she made up her mind and stood up.
"Since the Nazgul seem to have a strange liking towards you, I might as well tag along since they are my business, if you know what I mean."
Frodo smiled at her in relief but said nothing.
"Ten companions… so be it, you shall be the fellow ship of the ring." Lord Elrond said.
"Great." Stated Pippin grinning. "Where are we going?" Alyssa chuckled softly while Frodo and Merry looked at him skeptically.
Alyssa looked around her self, 'so this was it, this was what she was meant to do.' She just hoped she was up to the task.
AN: Well there you are hope you all liked it. Well, it'llbe more to the book and movie from now on, my guess is up till Lothlorien. Well I'll be away for the next couple of weeks as my school is sending us on a trip to Montréal and Quebec City for a week plus, grad and all that lovely stuff so tootles.
Lyssa.